Journal lubricators



y 1963 R. WILSON ETAL 3,090,659

JOURNAL LUBRICATORS Filed May 5, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventors Isaac E cox Llewellgrz 5. floger .Rosser L. Wilson May 21, 1963 R. 1.. WILSON ETAL 3,090,659

JOURNAL LUBRICATORS Filed May 5, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors Isaac 15.60%

Llewelh gn E0 fiog Rosser 1.. Wilson.

orn e35 y 1963 R. WILSON ETAL 3,090,659

JOURNAL LUBRICATORS Filed May 5, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 3 Inventors Isaac E. Cox

Llewellgr; E. H'oger Rosser 1... Wilson.

y 1963 R. L. WILSON ETAL 3,090,659

JOURNAL LUBRICATORS Filed May 5, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventors Isaac E. Cox Llew llgn E. fio l er Ross er 1. Wilson ornegs y L1963 R.L.WlLSON ETAL 3,090,659

JOURNAL LUBRICATORS 5 Sheets-$heet 5 Filed May 5, 1960 9 MS a y 9 3% 9m w m. w nlE .t M ,mm w W Y e L Mums w m a o 1 HR tates This invention relates to a lubricator for the journal and bearing of a railroad car. This application is a continuation-in-part of our application Serial No. 808,635, filed April 24, 1959, now abandoned.

The long-practiced mode of lubricating the segmental bearing in a railroad car truck has been by way of Waste packing, but it is now an accepted understanding that waste packing doe not produce reliable lubrication at high speeds of the railroad car, and moreover tends to shift within the journal box, thereby contributing to hot box problems. Proposals have been made to supplant waste packing as a lubricator by having resort to various forms of unitary pad inserts of oil absorbent material adapted to be arranged between the lower periphery of the car journal and the oil reservoir afforded by the underslung lower wall of the journal box. Pads of this kind have heretofore been constructed in one-piece form and in multiple pad form, and in most instances substantially better operation is obtained in comparison to the historical mode of waste packing. Thus, the pad type of lubricator has reduced the likelihood of loose strands of textile material from being drawn upwardly by the journal where they are trapped between the bearing and eventually ignite due to being wiped dry, and additionally much more effective relay of lubricant to the journal has been realized.

The present invention is concerned with a multiple pad lubricator of the foregoing generalized construction, and one of the primary objects of the present invention is to enable a flexibly integrated two-pad lubricator to be used under circumstances where there is an effective relay of lubricant to substantially the entire lower half of the car journal in spite of some separation between the pads in achieving the desired flexibility for ready conformability to the arcuate shape of the journal, and to produce substantially uniform pressures of the lubricator against the journal thereby assuring substantially lower operating temperatures.

Another object of the present invention is to so construct a lubricator achieving the foregoing effects while accounting for an effective prevention of the tendency for the journal under some conditions to pull the cover of the lubricator under the journal.

Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to construct a lubricator in which a pair of porous oil absorbent resilient blocks are respectively disposed in a pair of united fabric sleeves, and wherein the porous blocks have projections of reduced dimension at their inner sides and have outer sides of less effective thickness in comparison to the thickness of block immediately where the projections commence; and to provide the cover with relatively stiff end members that are so constructed as to resist the tendency for the journal to roll up the cover beneath the journal under certain operating conditions.

Another specific object of the present invention is to wrap or wind the porous blocks with loosely assembled unwoven yarns having a high wicking rate. This yarn material will be inward of and in contact with the outer fabric sleeves to thereby enhance and increase the feeding action of the lubricator.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims 3,%,5% Patented May 21, 1963 Zoe and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show preferred embodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and what is now considered to be the best mode contemplated for applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic perspective view of an assembly of parts embodied in a lubricator constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lubricator as assembled from the parts illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional end view of the medial section of the lubricator shown in FIG. 2 but with the porous inserts removed;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a railroad journal box equipped with a lubricator of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIGS. -6, 7 and 8 are sections showing modified blocks;

FIG. 9 is a perspective of a modified form of center filler wick;

FIG. 10 is a view on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the modified form of the invention wherein the porous inserts are wrapped with loose yarns of one form;

FIG. 11A is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of the parts shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the loosely assembled yarns used for wrapping as aforesaid;

FIG. 13 is a detail view showing the nature of the two-ply yarn; and

FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 are other modes of providing the inserts with yarn material.

One form of the lubricator of the present invention is illustrated at 19 in FIG. 2 of the drawings, and this lubricator 10, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, is to be removably mounted in the journal box IE of a railroad car in position between the lower periphery of the car journal I and the bottom wall 12 of the journal box. The journal box parts, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, represent standard AAR construction, and it will be noted that the journal I engages a segmental bearing B held in position at the top of the box by a conventional wedge W. The bottom wall of the journal box, being spaced well below the journal I, affords a reservoir for lubricating oil L, FIG. 4, and the lubricator 10- being partly submerged therein will relay large quantities of the oil onto the journal I which in turn will carry the oil to the bearing lining BL, FIG. 5, which is engaged by the upper periphery of the journal I.

The lubricator 10 is a symmetrical two-part assembly and one that is fully reversible end for end or face for face within the box so that it makes no difference which end of the lubricator is first inserted into the journal box or which face of the lubricator is uppermost at the time of insertion. In other words, the lubricator is fully symmetrical throughout, and each half of the lubricator is an identical twin when considered in respect to the other half.

The parts that comprise the lubricator 10 are best illustrated in FIG. 1. Thus, a pair of identically sized and configured porous pads or blocks 14 and 15 are provided, and these blocks, as are those modified forms to be described hereinafter, are composed of porous neoprene synthetic rubber or like porous, highly resilient oil resistant material. Moreover, the porosity is selected as of the open or communicating cell type so that large quan tities of oil will be absorbed by the blocks 14 and and capable of moving through the blocks either by virtue of applied squeezing pressure or by capillary phenomenon. In this connection it should be pointed out that the blocks 14 and 15 are advantageously molded so as to have eularged openings 17 formed inward from and opening at the upper and lower faces of the blocks, but these oil chambers 17 are extended but part way through the body of each block so as to have dead ends 17DE terminating within the body of the related block.

The minute pore openings in the body of each block are virtually of capillary'dimension and are interconnected one with another. Hence, when the blocks are placed under compression as by downward movement of the journal I which is a common circumstance when the railroad car is in motion, oil trapped in those chambers or openings 17 which open at the bottom faces of the blocks, adjacent the bottom wall of the journal box, is placed under compression. The trapped oil so compressed will be forced upwardly through the dead ends 17DE and through the small openings in the porous body area of the inserts or blocks above the dead ends to emit as high velocity jet sprays from the upper faces of the blocks, and this will account for an increased pressurized relay of oil to the fabric cover surrounding the blocks. Thus, while the ordinary manner of lubrication is by capillarity or wicking, the not uncommon pumping ac tion referred to above occurs under some circumstances and is actually pressure lubrication achieved without any mechanical parts.

The upper and lower faces of the blocks 14 and 15 which respectively face the journal and the bottom of the journal box are substantially flat and parallel as will be noted in FIG. 1, and these faces are generally of rectangular dimension. The outer side OS of each block lies generally in a vertical plane as viewed in FIG. 1, but these outer sides have notches cut therein at 16 for the full length or" each block. These notches are substantially V-shaped with the wide base of the notch opening at the outer side OS and with the center plane of each block. Advantageously, the base or Wide part of each notch 16 is approximately one-third the vertical height of the outer side of the 'block 14 or 15 thereby reducing the thickness dimension accordingly.

In order that there will be room allowing the center filler wick to spread as will be explained, the inner side of each block 14 and 15 is formed with a tapered or wedge-like projection 18, which like the notches 16, are V-shaped and are continuous from the front to the rear of the related block, each such projection 18 having a flat inner face 18U that is sloped downwardly from the upper face of the related block and another fiat inner face 18L that is sloped upwardly from the lower face of the related block. Thus it will be seen that the outer sides of the blocks, because of the hollows or notches are of less effective thickness dimension than the effective thickness 'at the inside of the block immediately in the plane having an edge P where the projection as 18 commences. This accounts for less pressure of the block against the journal where the journal box bottom wall is closer the journal as shown in FIG. 5.

The porous blocks 14 and 15 are enveloped about their upper and lower faces and their outer side walls by a woven fabric cover 20, FIG. 2, of light-weight cotton duck material or like wicking material. This cover is also adapted to receive the modified blocks of FIGS. 6 to 8 and which will be described hereinafter. The cover 20 maybe constructed in different ways to have two sleeves, and as shown in FIG. 1 the cover in the present instance comprises two separately formed sleeves 20A and 20B.- Thus, the sleeves 20A andZilB are constructed from two one-piece sheets of woven fabric folded in loop form to have free outer-ends 20E lapped one over the other at what will constitute the remote longitudi al outer sides of the assembled cover. The length of each sleeve, and hence the length of the flap ends 20E, is approximately the distance D, FIG. 4, between the smallest diameters of the filleted surfaces S-1 and S2, FIG. 4, respectively located at the collar end C and the dust guard end D5 of the journal I. Additionally, it will be appreciated that each fabric sleeve is selected of an initial length sufficient when folded and then opened in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 to comfortably receive the blocks 14 and 15 which are to be inserted into the open ends of the sleeves as indicated by the bold direction arrows in FIG. 1.

The end flaps 29E at the outer sides of the cover are provided with retainers which serve to limit displacement of the lubricatorin the journal box. These retainers in the present instance are preferably of fabric material. To this end, each retainer includes a pair of elongated U-shaped heavyweight cotton duck retainer elements 21 and 22, FIG. 1. For purposes of nomenclature, the re-. tainer elements 21 can be considered the upper half of each retainer and the retainer elements 22 can be considered the lower half, that is, the elements 21 are so disposed as to have one .of the legs thereof inserted in place between the two flaps 29E with the other leg thereof overlying the upper face of the upper flap 20E. The remaining retainer element 22 is then positioned so that it has one leg inserted between the flaps 20E and in contact with the leg of the retainer element 21 that was inserted between the flaps 29E. The remaining leg of the retainer element 22 is disposed under (as viewed in FIG. 1) the lower flap 20E. This relationship and separation is clearly shown in FIG. 5, and the resultant retainer represents in effect a six-ply fold, the outer two folds being the exposed legs of the retainer elements 21 and 22 of heavy-weight cotton duck, and the inner four folds being represented by the light-weight cotton duck flaps 20E of the cover and the heavy-weight two remaining legs of the retainer elements 21 and 22.

After the retainer assembly has been completed, the retainers are stitched in place, and this at the same time closes the flap ends 2013 of the cover. It will be noted that the retainer members 241 and 22 pro'ect at both ends beyond the ends of flaps 20B and hence are longer than cover flaps 20E in order to engage the inside face of the journal box rear wall and prevent the lubricator from being shoved against the journal fillet surface 8-2. The longer retainer also affords a long lever arm, resisting twist of the lubricator Within the journal box.

Of course the retainer members can be held in place other than by stitching, and in any event the retainer members serve as limit stops engageable with either the stop columns SC-1 and SC-2, FIG. 5, of the journal box, or with waste retainer ledges, if these happen to be present inside the box, or other limit stops within the journal box. In other words, when the journal I is rotating there is some tendency to crowd the lubricator to one side of the journal box, but this crowding tendency will not be to the extent that the lubricator is actually pulled upward to the bearing B, inasmuch as one retainer or the other will engage an abutment such as the stop column, and at the same time the retainer engaging the stop, of whatever form, will prevent the lubricator from being pinched between the journal and the stop, very likely result in severe damage to the lubricator. Furthermore, it has been noted that when the oil in the journal box is sluggish, the cover tends to pucker and be pulled under the journal. The heavy retainers prevent this in accordance with the present invention.

It was mentioned that the sleeves are so dimensioned as to receive the porous block inserts, and in the assembled construction shown in FIG. 2 it will be recognized that the upper and lower faces of theinserts are in contact with the inside faces of the cover. Hence, when the blocks 14 and 15 are inserted into the open ends of the sleeves 26A and 288, there will be good contact between the inserts and the cover, and as a consequence which would otherwise oil absorbed in the blocks will be readily relayed to the cover. This of course prevails in the event modified porous blocks to be described hereinafter should be substituted for the blocks 14 and 15.

In order that the inserts will be maintained in place within the sleves, wide webs of soft or light-weight duck are stitched or otherwise secured to the open ends of the sleeves WA and B. The webs at one end of the sleeves can initially have both upper and lower edges thereof stitched in place, and the insert-confining webs 30 at the other or completely open ends of the sleeves are preferably stitched in place along one edge only. After the inserts have been positioned in place, these partially secured end Webs are then to have their loose edges stitched to the cover.

The adjacent inner sides of the two sleeves are to be joined along a restricted longitudinal medial line to thereby flexibly join the two sleeves to allow for ready conformability of the lubricator to the arcuate surface of the journal as shown in FIG. 5. Such restricted joining results in an upwardly opening channel V-l, FIG. 3 and a downwardly opening channel V-2 in the area in the lubricator between the two sleeves 20A and 24313. This restricted joining of the sleeves is preferably afforded by a narrow stitch which simultaneously secures a center filling wick in place to occupy the channels V-l and V-2.

Referring to FIG. 1, a looped filler Wick of cotton duck of substantially the same weight as that of which the sleeves 20A and 20B are constructed is to be positioned between the adjacent inner sides of the sleeves 20A and 20B. The center filler or wick 40 can be constructed in different ways, but most conveniently this center filler is afforded by a one-piece sheet of duck folded to have closely abutting ends tlE, "BIG. 3. A center strap 41 of light-weight duck is then folded about the outside of the wick 4d and is stitched in place by two stitches 43 and 44 which are extended parallel to and adjacent the abutting ends 49E of the filled wick to thereby close and secure the loop of the filler wick on the center strap 41. The center strap has ends projecting beyond the open ends of the center wick as shown in FIG. 1, and these projecting ends have brass grommets 45 afiixed thereto which enable the lubricator to in effect be grasped by a hook incidental to extracting the lubricator from the journal box. It should be pointed out that the length of the filler wick 40 can be substantially the same as that of the sleeves 20A and 2GB, or it can be longer so as to engage the fillet surfaces S1 and S2, FIG. 4, to lubricate these fillet surfaces.

The resultant construction is one wherein the center filler 40, FIG. 3 has an upper loop 48 and a lower loop 49 respectively occupying the channels V-1 and V-2, and the dimensions of the filler 40 are selected so that these loops will project beyond the exposed upper and lower faces of the cover as shown in FIG. 3. Accordingly, when the lubricator is positioned within the journal box, the free upper loop 48 is flattened at the nadir point of the journal, FIG. 5, to relay copious quantities of oil thereto, and such copious quantities are largely provided by the lower flattened loop 49 of the center wick which is submerged in the greatest depth of oil at the bottom of the journal box. Thus, at the area between the sleeves 20A and 203 there is in effect a four-ply wick assuring rapid movement of oil to the journal. The center wick 40 is narrowly stitched in place to the inner sides of the sleeves as shown in FIG. 3, and this stitching at the same time joins the two sleeves along the restricted longitudinal center line mentioned above. Since the inner sides of the inserts 14 and 15 are relieved and sloped away from the center filler wick, there is plenty of room allowing for fiattening and spreading of the loops of the center filler wick.

In order to further promote and enlarge the capacity of the lubricator, the fabric sleeves -2llA and 29B as well as the center filler 40 are woven with a multitude of cotton loops which afford an exceedingly thick and fluffy pile surface on all exposed surfaces of the cover and the center wick. These loops are afforded by conventional chenille weaving simply by looping the chenilling threads back and forth so that the resultant loops, FIG. 3, are relatively taut at the inside faces of the fabric parts but with the exposed external loops 50 in an extended loose state.

When the lubricator 10 is properly positioned in the journal box as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the heavily matted pile loops 5%) on the lower faces of the fabric sleeves and the lower loop 49 of the center wick 4!} are for the most part submerged in oil at the bottom of the journal box. Since each chenille thread affording a pile loop is continuous, each chenille thread is effective as an individual wick, such that oil is relayed by wvicking due to the chenille loops as well as wicking due to the duck material per se in addition to that which moves by capillarity through and is absorbed in the porous insert blocks 14 and 15.

Various modes of construction may be resorted to in establishing the desired reduced pressure of the porous block against the outer sides of the journal, and in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 modified forms of construction are illustrated. Thus, the modified block 60 illustrated in FIG. 6 is one that is constructed from three pads 61, 62 and 63 of identical dimension. These pads have flat upper and lower faces and are rectangular throughout and are juxtaposed one on another, but the medial pad 62 is offset in a direction that will be inward when considered in respect of the journal box. Accordingly, the block assembly 68 will have a projecting nose element llN at what constitutes the inner side thereof which will be a corresponding recess 60R at the outer side of the block assembly till. Consequently it will be seen that the outer side of the block 6%} as represented by the spaced co-planar fiat outer faces of the pads 61 and 63 is of less effective thickness dimension in comparison to the effective thickness dimension of the assembly at the edge P-1 of the plane immediately Where each projection as 60N commences, such plane having the edge P-l including the fiat, truly vertical inner sides of the pads 61 and '63. It will be recognized that the recess 66R represents the displacement of the projection dtlN, and as in all other block forms disclosed herein the projection is of less thickness than the main or central body portion of the blocks, at least throughout the major extent of the projection. This recess and projection will function in substantially the same way as the recesses 16 and the projections 18 cooperate as described above, accounting for a reduced pressure of the porous block against the sides of the journal and allowing spreading of the center Wick.

The block assembly 76 illustrated in FIG. 7 is a twopart assembly which includes a pair of pads 71 and 72 which have flat upper and lower sides, and the pads are positioned with the flat lower face of the upper pad in engagement with the flat upper face of the lower pad. The two pads are assembled in a unitary fashion by bonding or tufting together the engaged faces in any suitable fashion.

The inner and outer sides of the pads 71 and 72 are bevelled or sloped in such a manner that the inner side has faces which converge uniformly toward one another proceeding in directions from the upper face of the upper pad and the lower face of the lower pad, and this accounts for a generally V-shaped projection 70N which will be of less thickness throughout in comparison to the main body portion of the block 70. The outer side of the block opposite the side which affords the projection 70N also is defined by sloped surfaces that converge in the same manner and define a pair of wings 70W, but inasmuch as the sloped surfaces at the inner and outer sides of the two pads are parallel one to another the resultant formation is a relatively large recess 70R at the outer side of the assembly. When a pair of such block assemblies 70 are substituted for the blocks 14 and 15 illustrated in FIG. 1, the resultant recesses 70R will account for the reduced pressure mentioned at the two sides of the journal, and the resultant sloped faces at the inner sides adjacent the filler wick as 49 will allow spreading of the center wick. The effective thickness dimension at the outer side of a block as 7% will be the combined vertical dimension of the projections of the two wings 70W projected on a plane slicing through the wings. The edge of sucha plane is indicated at P-2, and this combined dimension will always be less than that of the plane having the edge P-3 whose vertical dimension represents the efiective thickness of the assembly 70. immediately where the projection 70N commences.

It has been found that it is possible to account for reduced pressure of the block against the journal assembly by forming a relatively large rectangularly dimensioned unitary pad, and then folding this pad on itself at its center section. Thus, referring to FIG. 8, there is illustrated'a block 75 which has an upper leg 76 and a lower leg 77 folded into engagement with one another along what can be considered a parting line 75F. These legs are obtained from what amounts to the corresponding unfolded block of approximately twice the length illustrated in FIG. 8, the two legs being joined by an integral bight portion 753. The engaged faces of legs 76 and 77 can be bonded or tufted together or otherwise integrated, and the fold or bight 7513 will produce the desired projection. The high part of the fold represented by the vertical plane having the edge P-4, FIG. 8, will represent the greatest effective thickness, and this will also correspond approximately to the thickness of the main central body portion of the block 75. As is apparent in FIG. 8, the effective thickness at the outer side of the block opposite the projections 753 will be of less elfective thickness than the high part of the fold, thus accounting for the desired reduced pressure. It should be mentioned that the end surfaces of the pad from which the block 75 is constructed are preferably bevelled oif so that these will lie in a common vertical plane when the pad is folded as shown in FIG. 8.

We have referred above to the elfective thickness of the outer side of the porous block in each instance as being less than the effective thickness of the block immediately adjacent where the inward projection commences, and moreover in each instance the projection is located medially. of the inner side of the block. Such medial location of the projection establishes upper and lower spaces as S P-l and S1 2, FIG. 8, lying between intersecting planes established by a vertical plane VP touching the innermost point of the projection as 75B and the two planes UP and LP which are extended at right angles tothe plane VP and which touch the upper andlower faces of the block. The spaces corresponding to SP-l and SP-2 can be readily visualized for the blocks 14, 15, 60 and 74), and hence need not be further indicated, and in each instance these spaces allow for the spreading and hence full effectiveness of the two loops of the center filler wick as has been 7 explained. By the term effective thickness as used herein, we mean the solid thickness of the block at any section thereof which projects on a vertical plane that slices through the block and extends from the upper to the lower face of the block. Thus, the effective thickness of the outer sides of the blocks 14, 15 and 64} will simply be the combined Vertical dimensions of the two surfaces OS, and that of the outer faces of the two pads 61 and 63. In the case of the blocks 14 and 15, this effective thickness increases as the slicing plane moves gradually toward the apex of the recess 15. For the block 66, this effective thickness is constant until the outer face of the medial pad 62 is encountered. Referring to the block 7 0, the effective thickness at the outer side identified by the recess 70R also gradually increases as the slicing plane except at the fore and aft ends thereof.

having the edge P-Z moves inward toward the apex of the recess 76R.

The form of the end webs 3G is not essential. Thus, instead of separate end webs as 39 stitched in p-lace, the covers can be elongated to afford flaps equivalent to the webs 3%, and these flaps can be brought together and stitched after the porous blocks have been positioned within the covers.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate details of a modified form of a center filler wick 90. The center wick 9%, similar to the center wick 44 includes an elongated sleeve $1 of light weight cotton duck material, and this sleeve is provided with chenille loops in the manner that the sleeve for the wick 40 is provided with chenille loops. Likewise, the sleeve 91 is folded in closed loop form to have its free edges abutted as shown in FIG. 10, and an elongated pull strap 93 is extended about the outside of the sleeve 91 so as to overlie the marginal portions of the sleeve 91 adjacent the abutted edges. Parallel stitches 94- and 95 are extended through both sides of the sleeve and through the pull strap as shown in FIG. 10 to produce upper and lower closed loops 96 and 97, and these loops correspond to the loops 48 and 49 of the center filler wick 40, which is to saythat when the wick 90 is substituted for the wick 4%) the projectingrelationship illustrated in FIG. 3 will prevail and there will be spreading of the loops 96 and 97 in the fashion indicated in FIG. 5. Advantageously, the loops 96 and 97 may 'be stabilized and partly filled by solid tubes 93 of neoprene foam or like porous oil-absorbent oil-resistant material. The tubes 98 additionally afford some increased oil storage capacity for the center wick 9th These tubes are maintained in place Within the loops of the sleeve 91 by end stitches 99, FIG. 9, which close oif and seal up the ends of the sleeve 91. It will moreover be noted that the longitudinal dimension of the pull strap 93 is such as to have ends projected beyond the closed end of the sleeve 91, and these projecting ends of the pull strap are provided with grommets as described above in connection with the center filler wick 40. In each instance, the grommets reinforce the end bights or turns of the pull straps 41 and )3.

We have found that the feeding action of the lubricator constructed along the foregoing lines can be advantageously increased by disposing loosely assembled yarns about the porous inserts or blocks. This increases the absorbtion quality of the lubricator up to 30% and the feed is augmented on .the journal side of the lubricator by as much as 20%. A lubricator constructed in accordance with this form of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 11. The inserts in this instance are identified at 14A and 143 in FIG. 11 as being inserts of the kind 14 and 15 described above, except that a loosely assembled yarn cloth 1% is wrapped as an inner sleeve about each of the porous pads in such a manner that the individual yarn strips lililY are in contact with all surfaces of the porous blocks Additionally, the cloth is of such size as to have flap extensions 101 and 192 at the outer or notched side of the pad 14A or 14B where the retainers as 21 and 22, FIG. 1, will be provided. Thus, the yarn cloth side extensions 101 and 102 will be disposed between the outwardly disposed flap extensions 29E of the sleeves 20A andZtiB, and hence the yarn cloth extensions 1M and 102 at the outer or notched side of the pad Where the retainers as 21 and 22., FIG. 11, will be provided serve furtherto enlarge by two additional plys the thickness of the retainer members, FIG. .5, which serve to limit the extent to which the lubricator can be shifted within the journal box.

The yarns ltltiY used for the loose cloth inner sleeve are of two-ply or twisted strand nature as illustrated at 105 and 106 in FIG. 13 and material used for the yarns is preferably a 90% rayon-10% nylon fabric material combination. However, Dacron synthetic fibers and Orion synthetic fibers can also be used, and other mateidentified at 41A in FIG. 11.

rials such as cotton, wool and ramie can be advantageously substituted. As will be noted in FIG. 11, the yarns 100Y are arranged substantially in parallel contact with one another about the circumference of the related porous pad, and the yarns are tied loosely together by transverse rows of interwoven binder thread pairs T1 and T2, FIG. 12, to afford the loose cloth inner yarn sleeve.

The yarns 100Y are approximately ,4 in diameter and accordingly serve to supplement the oil storage capacity of the porous inserts 14A and 14B in addition to assuring a very rapid intermediate wick between each porous block and the overlying fabric sleeve 20A and 20B.

Various modifications can be resorted to insofar as the configuration of the yarn cloth is concerned. Thus, referring to FIG. 14, the extensions 101 and 102, FIG. 11, can be omitted together with the associated portions that would be co-extensive with the surfaces along the outer notched sides of the inserts 14A and 1413. Such omissions characterizing the modified sleeve 100A render the inner yarn sleeve 100A discontinuous, and hence there is complete freedom of movement for expansion of the yarn cloth 100A as the porous inserts absorb more and more oil. Consequently, it will be seen that in the instance of the extensions 101 and 102, FIG. 11, it is advantageous to lengthen these sufliciently to allow free play of the sleeve 100 so that the required expansion of the corresponding porous block can occur in actual conditions of use.

Referring to FIG. 15, the yarn sleeve 100 B in this instance is of such dimension as to have free ends 110B overlapped and joined together by a longitudinal stitch 1108 of such loose nature as to allow for the necessary degree of stretching due to expansion of the porous block when saturated with oil.

While an actual loose cloth is the desired form for the inner yarn sleeve, a single long yarn 100*LY, FIG. 16,

can be wrapped in a continuous fashion about the sides of conditions discussed above, and preferably the free ends of the long yarn 100LY are tucked in or tied or otherwise fastened down.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 11A, a modified center filler insert is shown as consisting of a one-piece chenille insert 40A which has the ends tucked in and stitched at ST-1 either at the top or bottom. This insert, as in the previous instance will .be disposed between the sleeves 20A and 20B as shown in FIG. 11, with the sides of the insert in contact with the adjacent sides of the sleeves 20A and 20B.

A modified pull strap is also resorted to, such being This strap includes two sides 41B and 41C, FIGS. 11 and 11A that are passed about the inside faces of sleeves 20A and 20B, and longitudinal stitches ST-Z and ST-3 secure the pull strap to the cover and to the insert 40A, thereby tightly and firmly joining the six plys as will be evident in FIG. 11A. Additionally, the two looped ends of the strap 41A are stitched at ST-4, FIG. 11, outwardly of the cover, atfording hook-receiving elements which eliminate the need for grommets. This particular construction of the strap 41 A assures that any tension on the pull strap is applied for the most part to the covers at the center section rather than the insert 40A.

It will be seen from the foregoing that under the pres ent invention there is afforded a lubricator adapted to be positioned in a journal box beneath the journal of a railroad car. This lubricator includes porous oil-absorbent blocks of oil-resistant material. Advantageously, the oilabsorbent blocks or inserts are wrapped or otherwise provided on at least the upper and lower faces with unwoven yarn material to increase the capacity of the lubricator and the wicking rate, and the blocks in each instance are lb so constructed as to assure that there will be reduced pressure at the outer sides of the blocks against the journal, thereby assuring cooler running. This reduced pressure is achieved by imparting to the blocks a less efiective thickness at their outer sides in comparison to the effective thickness of the blocks at their inner sides.

In order to enhance the flow of lubricant to the nadir point of the journal, the lubricator comprises a center filler wick; and in order that there will be good spreading of the bottom loop of the center wick, the porous blocks are so configured at their inner sides as to have projections thereon affording upper and lower spaces as mentioned above in connection with FIG. 8 which so allow for such spreading. Additionally, the wide spread of the center wick at the bottom thereof enables the present lubricator to be used in journal boxes of somewhat variant width, and spreading of the bottom loop in any event assures a fast rate of oil relay to the journal. 'By afiording both upper and lower spaces as aforesaid the lubricator is fully reversible.

The center wick can be of the same longitudinal dimension as the cover of the lubricator, or it can be slightly longer so that its ends will contact the fillet surfaces adjacent the collar and the dust guard seat of the journal. The stiff retainers of heavy duck material are advantageously longer in length than the cover. Finally, it is to be stressed that by having retainers which in effect afford four folds, this accounts for substantial resistance to forces that tend to cause the lubricator cover to be rolled or puckered under the journal.

Hence, while we have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A lubricator for the journal and bearing of a railroad car and comprising two elongated outer sleeves of woven fabric wicking material, said sleeves having adjacent inner sides joined together along a restricted longitudinal center portion only whereby the unjoined portions of the adjacent inner sides of the sleeves afford upwardly and downwardly opening V-channels, a wicking filler arranged between and secured to said adjacent sides of the sleeves, said filler having a loose upper portion disposed in the upwardly opening V-channel and a like loose lower portion disposed in the downwardly opening V-channcl, individual blocks of porous oil-absorbent material confined in each of said sleeves, said blocks each having upper and lower faces and each having an inner side and an outer side, said inner sides each having an inwardly directed projection thereon, said projections affording upwardly and downwardly opening substantially V-shaped recesses between the blocks affording ample room for the spreading of said portions of the wicking filler, and means maintaining said blocks in place within said sleeves.

2. A lubricator according to claim 1 wherein the blocks at least on the upper and lower faces are contacted by parallel rows of loosely assembled oil absorptive yarns which in turn are in contact with the inner faces of said sleeves.

3. A lubricator according to claim 1 wherein the outer sides of the two sleeves are provided with outwardly projecting fabric retainers of longer dimension than said sleeves, thereby affording stops at the ends of the lubricator engageable with the rear wall of a journal box to prevent the lubricator from being shoved against the adjacent fillet surface of a journal having a fillet.

4. A lubricator for the journal and bearing of a railroad car and comprising, a cover affording two elongated closed loop open-end sleeves of Woven wicking material, said sleeves being secured together at their adjacent inner sides along a restricted longitudinal center line to flexibly join the sleeves and produce upwardly and downwardly opening elongated V-channels between the adjacent inner sides of the sleeves respectively above and below said securement, a filler of fabric wicking material arranged between said sleeves at their adjacent inner sides, said filler having an upper portion lying in the upper V-channel and a lower portion lying in the lower V-channel, individual blocks of oil-absorbent material confined in each of said sleeves, said blocks each having upper and lower faces and each having an inner side and an outer side, said inner sides each having an elongated inwardly directed projection extended along the full length thereof, said projections affording upwmdly and downwardly opening substantially V-shaped recesses between the blocks affording ample room for the spreading of said portions of the wicking filler, the outer side of each block having a less effective thicknessdirnension in comparison to the thickness dimension of the block immediately where the related projection commences, means at the open ends of said sleeves to maintain the blocks in position within said sleeves, and members of material stiffer than the material comprising said cover and being secured to the outer sides of said sleeves and projecting outwardly therefrom.

5. A lubricator according to claim 4 wherein said members are of longer longitudinal dimension than said sleeves, thereby afiording stops at the ends of the lubricator engageable with the rear Wall of a journal box to prevent the lubricator frombeing shoved against the adjacent fillet surface of a journal having. a fillet.

6. A lubricator for the journal and bearing of a railroad car and comprising two elongated outer sleeves of woven fabric wicking material, said outer sleeves having adjacent inner sides joined together along a restricted longitudinal center portion only whereby the unjoined portions of the adjacent inner sides of said sleeves'afiord upwardly and downwardly opening V-channels, a wicking filler arranged between and secured to said adjacent sides of the sleeves, said filler having a loose upper portion disposed in the upwardly opening V-channel and a like loose lower portion disposed in the downwardly opening V.-channe1, individual blocksof porous. oil absorbent material confined in each of said sleeves, said blocks each having upper and lower faces and each having an inner side and an outer side, said inner sides of said blocks each having an inwardly directed projection thereon, said projections affording upwardly and downwardly opening substantially V-shapcd recesses between the blocks affording ample room for the spreading of said portions of the wicking filler, inner sleeves in contact with the upper and lower faces of said blocks and in contact with the opposed faces of said outer sleeves, saidinner sleeves consisting of loosely associated parallel yarns of. oil absorptive material of at least two-plytwisted form, and means maintaining said blocks and the inner sleeves in place within said outer sleeves. V

7. A lubricator according to claim 6 wherein the outer sides of the two outer sleeves are provided with outwardly projecting fabric retainers longer than said outer sleeves and wherein the inner sleeves have extensions embraced by said retainers.

8. A lubricator for the journal and bearing of a railroad car and comprising, a cover affording two elongated closed loop open-ended outer sleeves of woven fabric wicking material woven with pile loops, said sleeves being secured together at their adjacent inner sides along a restricted longitudinal center line to flexibly join the sleeves and produce upwardly and downwardly opening elongated V-channels between the adjacent inner sides of the sleeves respectively above and below said securement, a filler of fabric wicking materialarranged between said sleeves at their adjacent inner sides, said filler having an upper portion lying in the upper V-channel and a lower portion lying in the lower V-channel, individual blocks of oil-absorbent material confined in each of said sleeves,

12 said blockseach having upper and lower faces and each having an inner side and an outer side, inner sleeves of loosely associated parallel'yarns of oil. absorbent material in contact with faces of said blocks and in contact with the opposed faces of said outer sleeves, said inner sides each having an elongated inwardly directed projection extended along the full length. thereof, said projections affording upwardly and downwardly opening substantially V-shaped recesses between the blocks affording. ample roomfor the spreading of said portions of the wicking filler, the outer side of each' block having a less'effective thickness dimension in comparison to the thickness dimension ofithe block immediately where the related projection commences, and means at the open ends of said sleeves to maintain the blocks inposition within said sleeves.

9. A lubricator according to claim. 8 wherein the outer sleeves have free ends joined at the outer sides of the' lubricator to aflford a pair ofv end flaps, wherein the inner sleeves have end flapsjuxtaposed with respect to the firstnamed end flaps, and wherein members'of a material stiifer than the material of said flaps embrace and are fastened to said flaps at the outer sides of thelubricator.

10. A lubricator for' the journal and bearingof'a railroad car and comprising a pair of individual blocks of porous oil absorbent material and having inner and outer sides and said inner sides havingopposed faces, sleeves composed of cloth of loosely assembled yarns of oil absorbent material in contact with the opposed faces of said blocks to'aiford continuous parallel rapid ,wicking paths upwardly around each block from thebottom to the top and alfording an oil storage capacity that supplements said blocks, said losely assembledyarns allowing free play of said sleeves sufiicient to allow for the required expansion of the blocks when the latter absorb oil, and a fabric cover of woven wicking material affording individual outer sleeves for saidblocks and having inner faces in direct contact with said loosely assembled yarns.

11. A lubricator according to claim 10 wherein the yarns are of two-ply twisted form;

12; A lubricator according to claim 10 wherein said sleeves and the fabric cover have extensions at the outer sides of the blocks affording a four-ply thickness and wherein said extensions are embraced byfabric retainer elements.

13. A lubricator-for the journal and bearing of arailroad car including-a porousblock of resilient oil absorbent material, an inner sleeve in contact with opposed surfaces of the porous block and composed of a cloth of loosely assembled yarns of oil absorbent material incontact with said opposed surfaces to afford parallel wicking paths-upwardly around the porous block and continuous from one surface thereof to the other, said yarns aifording an oil storage capacity that supplements that of said block, said loosely assembled yarns allowing free play of said sleeve sufiicient to allow for the'required expansion of the block when the latter absorbs-oil, and an outer sleeve of woven fabric wickingmaterialdisposed about said block and in contact with said yarns.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,753,582 Fredericks ...July 10, 1956 2,807,803 Rockwell Sept. 24, 1957 2,856,248 Hoyer et'al Oct. 14, 1958 2,898,161 Eddy et a1 Aug. 4, 1959 2,915,343 Lukens i Dec. 1, 1959 2,936,202 Barber May 10, 1960 2,991,135 Harkenrider July 4, 1961 2,992,867 Hanson July- 18, 1961 3,008,780 McGrath Nov. 14, 19.61 3,019,069' Barth et a1 Jan. 30, 1962 3,025,117 Arnett et al Mar. 13, 1962 

1. A LUBRICATOR FOR THE JOURNAL AND BEARING OF A RAILROAD CAR AND COMPRISING TWO ELONGATED OUTER SLEEVES OF WOVEN FABRIC WICKING MATERIAL, SAID LEEVES HAVING ADJACENT INNER SIDES JOINED TOGETHER ALONG A RESTRICTED LONGITUDINAL CENTER PORTION ONLY WHEREBY THE UNJOINED PORTIONS OF THE ADJACENT INNER SIDES OF THE SLEEVES AFFORD UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY OPENING V-CHANNELS, A WICKING FILLER ARRANGED BETWEEN AND SECURED TO SAID ADJACENT SIDES OF THE SLEEVES, SAID FILLER HAVING A LOOSE UPPER PORTION DISPOSED IN THE UPWARDLY OPENING V-CHANNEL AND A LIKE LOOSE LOWER PORTION DISPOSED IN THE DOWNWARDLY OPENING V-CHANNEL, INDIVIDUAL BLOCKS OF POROUS OIL-ABSORBENT MATERIAL CONFINED IN EACH OF SAID SLEEVES, SAID BLOCKS EACH HAVING UPPER AND LOWER FACES AND EACH HAVING AN INNER SIDE AND AN OUTER SIDE, SAID INNER SIDES EACH HAVING AN INWARDLY DIRECTED PROJECTION THEREON, SAID PROJECTIONS AFFORDING UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY OPENING SUBSTNATIALLY V-SHAPED RECESSES BETWEEN THE BLOCKS AFFORDING AMPLE ROOM FOR THE SPREADING OF SAID PORTIONS OF THE WICKING FILLER, AND MEANS MAINTAINING SAID BLOCKS IN PLACE WITHIN SAID SLEEVES. 